Monday, February 21, 2011

An Iraqi Perspective

Many in the audience were inspired by the comments, during the closing session, of Sarah Ahmed. This eloquent young woman from Iraq expressed how happy she was to attend the CSW parallel events and meet the "magnificent" women representing NGO's from all over the world.

I had the pleasure of talking to her after the session. She came to the NGO CSW with the Iraqi Student Project (ISP), which helps Iraqi students through all stages of coming to the US to pursue their educations. She, like many other students in Iraq, has had her education interupted - and her future employment options diminished - by the recent wars. Sarah hopes to be able to enroll in a dental program in the US, since she already completed 5 years of dental school in Iraq.

Sarah was chosen from all the ISP students to attend the NGO CSW because of her work with local organizations and her interest in promoting women's rights and preventing violence against women. Sarah is excited "to be exposed to the atmosphere" at the CSW parallel events. Having a forum to discuss challenges facing women and potential solutions is valuable to Sarah, because, in her own words, "I have a lot to say - I wish I had a place to say it."